New RET legislation allows burning of native forests

Environment Minister Greg Hunt last week introduced controversial legislation that would allow the burning of native forests for electricity generation to be included as a source of renewable energy under the amended Renewable Energy Target (RET) - and it looks like some companies are already planning for this eventuality.

Leaked documents from VicForests apparently reveal multimillion-dollar taxpayer losses from continued logging of East Gippsland’s native forests. Now, the state-owned business is keen to burn low-quality native forest to generate electricity (native forest biomass) under the RET.

The plans have been criticised by Goongerah Environment Centre (GECO), with spokesperson Ed Hill describing the burning of forests to produce electricity as “an archaic proposal”.

“These documents reveal there is no market for native forest saw logs in East Gippsland and the industry in the region is not commercially viable,” Hill continued.

“Should burning of native forest be allowed under the RET, there’s a real risk that VicForests would become a company whose sole business is burning native forest for biomass energy.

“Native forest biomass would be a high-volume, low-value industry that will have disastrous effects not only for biodiversity and threatened species, but also the saw log industry, as the resource would be sent to forest furnaces to produce low-value, dirty energy,” said Hill.

The Australian Greens have added their opposition, calling on Labor to abandon its deal to cut the RET.

“Burning native trees is not renewable energy,” said Greens Leader Richard Di Natale, who claimed the deal is “bad for the climate, bad for jobs and a disaster for the environment”.

“This deal would undermine genuine renewable energy projects that cut pollution, build the clean economy and create sustainable jobs,” added Greens industry spokesperson Adam Bandt.

“The jobs of the 21st century are in the renewable energy sector, not in cutting down and burning up our native forests.”

“Attempting to meet a weakened renewable energy target by burning native forests will further erode our international reputation and cement Australia as a climate pariah,” concluded Greens Deputy Leader Larissa Waters.